WERKWIJZE VOOR HET AFSNIJDEN VAN PLAKKEN VAN EEN INGOT VAN MONOKRISTALLIJN MATERIAAL.

摘要

A process for slicing boules of a single crystal material such as gadolinium gallium garnet (GGG) into wafers is described. The boule is prepared, by grinding preferably, so that the longitudinal boule axis corresponds to the crystallographic orientation axis of the boule. The boule is then mounted in a fixture and aligned so that the common longitudinal axis and crystallographic orientation axis is perpendicular to the saw blade. The boule is then rotated while maintaining the orientation of the combined common axis and engaged against an inner diameter rotating saw blade for a time sufficient for the blade to slice through the boule and form a wafer. The wafers obtained by this slicing process may be directly polished without the conventional lapping step to form a wafer having a surface that is substantially flat, parallel and defect free.